Health and Production Management Practices for
Nursing Beef Calves
Floron C. Faries, Jr., DVM, MSProfessor and Extension Program Leader for Veterinary Medicine
Texas AgriLife Extension ServiceTexas A&M System
Dehorning
Why? To improve appearance To reduce injuries due to fighting To increase feeder or bunk space To improve value as a feeder animal
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Dehorning
When? Preferably perform at birth at birth or before 3
months of age.
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How? Chemical paste over horn button to destroy tissue Electrical or fire hot iron around horn button to destroy blood supply Cutting spoon or tube to scoop horn button or horn and ¼ inch ring
of hair and skin Cutting scissor-like clipper (Barnes’) to scoop horn button or horn
and ¼ inch ring of hair, skin, and skull Saw to remove tip of horn
Dehorning
Hot Iron
Barnes’ Dehorner
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Castrating
Why? Prevent mating and fighting To improve carcass quality To gentle
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Castrating
When? Preferably perform at birth or before 3
months of age.
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Standard Surgical Castration
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Proper Restraint
Castrating
How? Bloodless pincher (Burdizzo) to sever cord 2 inches above testicle Bloodless pliers (elastrator) used to stretch rubber band ring and
place 2 inches above testicle to restrict blood flow Knife used to cut bottom half of scrotum to remove testicle by
severing cord with knife, cutting/crushing pliers (emasculator) or pulling.
Identifying
Why? To claim ownership To conduct individual record keeping
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Identifying
When? Ear methods, preferably performed at birth or
before 4 months of age Branding methods, preferably between 3 to 4
months of age
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Identifying
How? Fire hot iron or freeze cold iron to destroy hair or
pigments cells of skin on hip, thigh or shank Pliers to insert tag or apply tattoo between ribs of
ear and to cut notches along lower edge of ear
Electric Cattle Branding and Ear Marking
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Implanting
Why? To increase feed efficiency To increase rate of weight gain
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Implanting Chemical Pellet
Implanting
When? Over 6 weeks of age, repeating every 100-200
days
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Feed Lot Cattle Eating
How? Dispensing gun and needle to insert chemical
pellets under the skin in middle 1/3 of top side of ear
Implanting
Dispensing Gun
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Implanting Diagram
Vaccinating
Why? To stimulate immunity for protection against
infectious diseases To prevent sickness and death
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Vaccinating Cattle
Vaccinating
When? Over 2 months of age, repeating 3 weeks
before weaning
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Vaccinating
Multi-dose Syringe
How? Syringe and needle to administer the vaccine
subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intranasally
Single-dose Syringe
Deworming
Why? To reduce worm numbers To prevent tissue damage To prevent pasture contamination To break worms’ life cycles
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Deworming
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When? Over 2 months of age When infected Following 3 to 6 weeks of moderate
temperature; rainfall and wet grass
Deworming
How? Syringe and needle to administer a drug
subcutaneously; syringe drench gun, hook drench gun, balling gun, or paste gun to administer a drug orally, and liquid dispenser to administer a drug on back (pour-on)
Drench Gun
Hook Gun Ball Gun
Degrubbing, Delicing, and Deflying
Why? To reduce parasite numbers To prevent tissue damage and blood loss To prevent annoyance To break parasites’ life cycles
Hornflies Grubs Lice
Degrubbing, Delicing, and Deflying
When? Over 2 months of age When infested in summer (flies and grubs) When infested in winter (lice)
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Degrubbing, Delicing, and Deflying
How? Syringe and needle to administer a chemical
subcutaneously, dispenser to administer topically on back (dust, pour-on, spot-on; and pliers to insert chemical tag between ribs of ear
Insecticide Ear TagsInsecticide Dust Bags